My name is René Bosma en I live in the little Dutch town of Oosterwolde. Since 4 years I have been investigating the Air war over the Northern part of the Netherlands. It is my main objective to gather as much information as possible about the aircraft and the airmen which came down over the province of Friesland during the Second World War. We consider it very important to keep the memory of the Air war alive, especially the many flyers paid with their lives for our Freedom.

One of the aircraft I research is a American B-17 heavy Bomber of 96 Bomb Group/337 Bomb Squadron. The B-17 (serial: 42-3265 Nickname “Holy Mackerel”) crashed on the 16th of December 1943 near a little Dutch Town called Kimswerd in the North of The Netherlands. The B-17’s came back from a bombing mission on the harbour installations in the German city of Bremen. But when they flown above the North side of the Dutch Mainland the group of Bombers where attacked by German Fighter. The Holy Mackerel was hit by another B-17 of 96 bomb group 42-30860. This B-17 was hit by fire of a German Fighter en go down into the Waddensea. The Holy Mackerel was hit but tried to make a emergency landing on the Dutch mainland. But when he was looking for a good spot he also were attacked by German fighter. The plane get badly hit en short 6 man jumped out with the parachute. 2 of the 6 man survived the jump en were captured by the Germans. 2 others, who jumped out over the waddensea, drowned. They are still missing in action till today. The other 6 crewmembers lost their live. Some of the brave man are still buried at the American war cemetery at Margarten, The Netherlands. Others are reburied in the U.S.A. The 42-30860 crashed into the Waddensea. all 10 brave man lost their lives. 5 of them are still missing in action. The 5 others washed ashore in the Netherlands en buried at Margraten en also later in the U.S.A. It was a big loss to the 96 bomb group. 18 man lost their life for our freedom.

The 1st Pilot en Commander of the 42-30860 crew was 1st Lt. Merl LeRoy Schroeder. He was born in 1921 at Fullerton, Nance County, Nebraska (sadly I don’t know his specific birth date). His parents were George Schroeder (1892-1973) & Bethel Lamb Schroeder (1898-????). Merl his one brother George T. Schroeder (1930). In 1935 they lived at Broken Bow, Custer County, Nebraska. In 1940 the family lives on 410 South 10th Street at Caldwell, Canyon County, Idaho. His father was manager of the Veltex gas station at 924 Cleveland Blvd. at Caldwell

Sadly Merl his body is never found after the crash that’s why he is still missing in action till today. To Honour him his name is on the Wall of the Missing at the American War Cemetery at Margraten, The Netherlands

At the moment I research this crash en I was hoping that there is someone could en will help me with some additional information about Merl:

• his military career
• his family
• his life before he sight in for service
• his repatriation

I also hope that someone knows some ancestors or relatives of Merl en will help me to get in contact with them.

My goal with the information I try to collect is to make a as precise as possible reconstruction about the crew en their mission on that day. So the story of the brave man who gave their live for our freedom never will be forgotten.

Thank you in advance en hope someone could en will help me.
Kind regards
René Bosma, Oosterwolde, The Netherlands
My emailaddress:rene_bosma21@hotmail.com or frisianheroes@yahoo.com